


Nothing Short of Perceptive

by tuanpark



Category: K-pop, Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Attempt at Humor, Drama, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, High School, Humor, M/M, Misunderstandings, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 14:43:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20437748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuanpark/pseuds/tuanpark
Summary: Hyunjin’s best friend Jisung is cheerful, lively, and just a bit hopeless, exactly the type who is popular with boys, girls, and everyone in between. So it comes as no surprise to Hyunjin when one day he catches Seungmin, a quiet, yet serious classmate staring at them as they pass him by.Heavily inspired by: Kanjou Spectrum





	Nothing Short of Perceptive

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here I am, my first finished Stray Kids fic. :')
> 
> This fic was heavily inspired by Kanjou Spectrum, and if you read it, you'll see that this is basically that manga but in words. I just fluffed it up and made it into a fic. I am unoriginal as fuck, but I really liked the premise of the story and thought it kind of fit SeungJinSung.
> 
> Self-edited, so sorry for the mistakes that you see. I'm sure there are some. Happy reading!
> 
> Follow my Twitter: @[seungminhot](https://twitter.com/seungminhot) !!!
> 
> **Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters, and all the scenes written are purely fiction.

The first time he notices it is by complete accident. It’s funny how when one picks up on a certain bit of information, they end up seeing it time and time again. This one is no different. 

“What? What do you mean you’re not free today?”

Hyunjin sighs at how unnecessarily loud Jisung is being. First of all, they’re indoors. That’s already a clear indication that they shouldn't use their voices at maximum capacity. Second, they’re in the boy’s locker room, which means the sounds are already amplified, even if they use their regular talking voice. It doesn’t matter to Jisung though, who’s basically a walking stereo at full volume everywhere he goes.

“I told you before, already. I have plans with Chaewon today.”

Jisung gasps comically. “You’re ditching me for a girl again? I feel so betrayed. Backstabbed! By my own best friend, no less?”

“Stop being so melodramatic. We’re just going to a cafe to see if anything goes off.”

“Et tu, Jinus?” Jisung coughs roughly, hand on his chest even though Hyunjin is sure that Caesar was most likely stabbed from behind.

“Oh, god, you’re actually hopeless.”

Jisung snickers then, probably finding his own antics absolutely hilarious. They’re smile-inducing at best. 

Jisung is talking about his new Nintendo Switch and how he plans on buying Smash Ultimate when Hyunjin feels the prickly feeling of being watched.

At the corner of his eyes, he sees a boy sitting on the far side of the bench, his locker open and in the midst of locking up his shirt and jogging pants. The boy is looking at them, glassy-eyed, but turns away as soon as Hyunjin makes eye contact. Hyunjin watches him for a few moments more, taking in how the boy looks unbothered and uninterested at what Hyunjin and Jisung are chatting about.

He’s shaken away from his thoughts when Jisung slaps him on the shoulder.

“Earth to Hyunjin. I said what do you think?”

“Hmm? Sure, sounds good.”

Jisung snorts. “Holy shit, really? No take-backs.”

Hyunjin turns to his friend, bemused. “What did I just agree to, exactly?”

Jisung gives him a devilish grin, and Hyunjin doesn’t think he likes where this is going. “I said I would buy the game, but since we both know you like to leech off of me—”

“You bitch, that’s you.”

“—I figured you can pay for one-third of it. But that’s okay, one-third isn’t a lot, right? Just buy me lunch for the next three days and we should be good. And I asked what you thought about it, and you said _ ‘Hmm? Yes, my pleasure.’ _”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes. He bets his left nut only half of that was true, but Hyunjin is too tired to argue. Lunch isn’t that expensive for him anyway.

***

It’s the week after when Hyunjin notices it again. This time, it’s a little more apparent. And it makes Hyunjin feel almost sympathetic for the boy. He’s called him The Boy, since then. He should really find out who he is. Hyunjin’s pretty sure they’re in the same grade, seen him around in the hallways near their homeroom. 

Perhaps he’s from the class next door?

“Oh no, I forgot my wallet!”

They’re walking to the cafeteria when Jisung says it out loud. But Hyunjin already knows his friend, his scheming ways ineffective against an experienced Hyunjin.

“Liar. You just want me to pay for your lunch again.”

“No, I’m serious,” Jisung replies, hands checking all his pockets before twisting his backpack around, rummaging in there for the allegedly forgotten wallet. “Shitballs. This sucks ass. How am I gonna eat?”

Hyunjin ignores him, choosing to take out his airpods in favor of listening to music rather than listening to his friend moan about his supposedly missing wallet.

“Hyunjin, please!” Jisung is facing him now as they walk. “My one request until the day I die. Or until I have a new request, please.”

“No.”

“You’re really going to let your best friend die from starvation? Because that’s what’s going to happen if I don’t eat, Hyunjin. Now I know you don’t want me to be gone because who else is going to annoy you when Mr. Kim is droning on about the golgi apparatus? Hyunjin, lend me money!”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “Ask someone else, you ding dong.”

Jisung pouts, blowing his cheeks as he does. It makes them even fuller if that’s even possible. “You’re so stingy! Stingy and stinky. What happened to the ten thousand won I lent you when we went to the arcades?”

Hyunjin laughs humorlessly. “That was eight months ago! I’ve paid for a lot of your shit, since then.”

Jisung then grabs him by the arm and begins rubbing his cheeks on Hyunjin’s shoulder, not unlike a dog or a cat would to someone they’re trying to charm up to. “Hyunjinnie-oppaaaaa~”

“Oh my god, shut up. Stop saying that!” Hyunjin whispers, seething.

“Not until you let me borrow some money.”

It’s then that Hyunjin feels the same stare as he did last time. And sure enough, The Boy is on the other side of the hallway passing them by. Hyunjin doesn’t blame him.

Jisung has always been a little ditzy and a lot hopeless, but he’s actually _ very _ smart regardless of what it may seem like from the outside. He’s more than the class clown that people view him as. His big mouth and sharp wit are impeccable, and his boisterous energy is a good combination of confidence and approachability. It’s all of these features and more that make him popular with all types of people in their school, boys, girls, and everyone in between.

Some are brave enough to confess to Jisung, the latter giving them a big apologetic smile, telling them he already has feelings for a childhood friend who’s currently attending college. However, most students are not like these brave souls. Instead, they like to keep their crush of Jisung to themselves, admiring in silence, and staring at him from afar.

Hyunjin is nothing short of perceptive. And as such, he notices their silent admiration nonetheless. It’s their eyes, he tells himself. Their eyes usually give them away.

It’s the same with The Boy, no matter how hard he tries to mask it. Perhaps that’s why Hyunjin has taken a keen interest in him, the fact that he tries to feign disinterest while his eyes narrate a different story.

Hyunjin sees how The Boy is looking at them, mouth a thin line and messy hair covering a little bit of his face. He walks by with a blank expression, but Hyunjin knows better. His eyes are half-lidded, looking nonchalant but glazed over nonetheless. 

“Fine, but you have to give it back by next week, okay?”

“Yessir!” Jisung cheers, letting go of Hyunjin as soon as he gets the green light.

“None of that _ ‘my dog ate my paper bills’ _ bullshit.”

Jisung sputters. “That was one fucking time.”

“It was three times if I remember correctly. And in one of those instances, you literally had ten thousand won sticking out of your pocket.” Hyunjin shakes his head at the memory. How he still tolerates Jisung, he doesn’t know.

“Alright, alright. Sheesh. I swear I’ll pay it back next week.”

And then Hyunjin isn’t listening anymore, instead opting to look behind him to catch a glimpse of The Boy. He sees how The Boy is talking with Felix, the Australian transfer from the classroom over. And from the familiar way they’re talking and the distance between them (or lack thereof), Hyunjin assumes that they must be classmates considering Felix just moved in this year.

Jisung is talking about lunch, surely nothing too important, so Hyunjin decides to interrupt him.

“By the way, do you know the boy from class 4-A? About average height. He has dark, messy hair and stuff.”

“Huh? Who?” Jisung asks, confused.

“That one guy! Has a beauty mark near his jaw? Most of the time looking like he’s staring at something far away, kind of expressionless.”

Jisung scratches his chin in thought. “Perhaps if I saw a photo of him, I would know. But right now, I can’t really picture him. Why do you ask?”

Hyunjin doesn’t even know why he’s asking, doesn’t even know why he cares, first of all. Wait, scratch that. He_ doesn’t _care. Hyunjin supposes he’s only wondering because he wants to know if Jisung has noticed him, if Jisung has seen the way The Boy looks at Jisung. 

Maybe he shouldn’t bother snooping around. Perhaps Hyunjin should just mind his own business. It’s not his problem who does and who doesn’t go after their crush, after all. But Hyunjin is nothing short of a meddler. So he decides to talk to The Boy.

This could be the guy Jisung would fall for, certain that he’s just Jisung’s type.

What’s the worst that could happen, right?

***

The thing is. The thing is. The second time it happens isn’t the last time it does. It occurs whenever Hyunjin and Jisung pass him by, may it be on the way to the cafeteria, exiting the library, parading around the hallways, you name it. One time, Hyunjin even catches him staring while Hyunjin and Jisung were in the parking lot.

So yes, Hyunjin thinks he should intervene (positively of course!), even if it isn’t his job to do so. He’s not certain _ why _ he wants to do it exactly, just that he thinks it’s right that he should. Jisung might like him is the obvious reason. Perhaps there’s a sense of pity that he feels for The Boy, just hopelessly watching Jisung from afar. That may or may not grate Hyunjin’s nerves because he should really just go for it, come what may. Maybe it’s the fact that he doesn’t like the hint of sadness on The Boy’s face, and he’ll feel a tiny bit altruistic for helping someone get with their crush. A charitable act of kindness for the year. 

Which is why, when the bell signals for lunchtime to begin, Hyunjin immediately races out of the class, much to Jisung’s dismay. He waits outside of class 4-A, and sure enough, he sees The Boy exiting with Felix right next to him. And Hyunjin shouldn’t even be bothered, but there’s a funny voice inside his head wondering if he got everything wrong, if maybe The Boy is actually dating _ Felix _ instead. But Hyunjin is perceptive, and he sees how The Boy is discreetly scouring the area for someone with his eyes, presumably Jisung.

With a sigh, Hyunjin begins his first task. He follows The Boy to whatever destination he chooses, except when The Boy and Felix get to the cafeteria entrance, the two go their separate ways, with Felix entering the lunchroom and The Boy moving along to the left. This is the thing that would bug Hyunjin the most. 

Confused, Hyunjin follows The Boy, trying his best to seem casual and place a good amount of distance between them so as not to seem suspicious. Much to Hyunjin’s surprise, though he supposes he should have seen this coming, The Boy enters the library. He should have known that the serious boy from 4-A is also a nerd, which would make a lot of sense seeing as 4-A is the top class in their year.

Hyunjin enters too and tries to locate The Boy, but much to his disappointment, he doesn’t see him immediately. He doesn’t understand why he’s putting so much effort into this, but he decides to check every aisle of the library. 

He’s at the Music section when he finally finds him, face thoughtful as he chooses which book to check out. Presumably.

Hyunjin approaches him cautiously, not unlike one would to a stray cat in fear of making them jump and run away. He doesn’t realize exactly how _ tall _The Boy is until he’s up close, and is shocked at the fact that they’re basically almost the same height. He could’ve sworn The Boy wasn’t that tall, but then Hyunjin takes in the way The Boy would stand with his back slumped over, head tilted down and making himself look smaller than he actually is.

Ah. He sees now. Hyunjin should really teach him about proper posture.

“You know, you really shouldn’t slouch your back and hang your head like that. It’s bad for your posture.”

The Boy turns to him then, looking as expressionless as he usually does, but then he goes to face the books he was perusing without even much of an acknowledgment that Hyunjin just talked to him. Now that’s just plain rude. 

“I’m Hwang Hyunjin, by the way. What’s your name?” Hyunjin tries, feeling a little bit awkward with how he’s talking _ at _ The Boy rather than to him.

“Kim Seungmin,” The Boy says, attention still very much given to the books. And it seems he finds what he’s looking for because he pulls one out, something with bland colors, but Hyunjin doesn’t care enough to read the title, focused instead on The Boy with the blank expression. On Kim Seungmin, he tells himself.

Seungmin turns away from him then, presumably leaving him to go check out the book, and Hyunjin kind of just blurts out whatever he’s been trying to say.

“Hey,” Hyunjin calls out, hopes it’s neither too direct nor too disrespectful. “You like Han Jisung, right? Do you want me to help you with that?”

Seungmin twists his body around then, a little flushed and a little anxious, so different from the usual blank look on his face. “What? What are you…?”

Hyunjin smirks. “Your stare kind of makes it obvious and easily distinguishable from a sea of faces. I figured Jisung might notice sooner or later, but at this rate, I don’t think he will. He’s a little slow on the uptake, if you know what I mean.”

Seungmin doesn’t say anything, simply looks down again, almost as if _ disappointed _ with himself. Which, there’s no reason for that, honestly. When Hyunjin realizes that Seungmin won’t say any more, he decides to break the short silence.

“I’m always by his side, so I just couldn’t help but catch the way you eyeball him more than the rest,” Hyunjin chuckles, trying to diffuse the tension.

“In that case, I won’t look anymore.” Seungmin replies, stone-faced. And what the heck? That’s not even what Hyunjin was trying to get at. He’s not attempting to _stop_ Seungmin’s crush, no. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“That’s not what I’m trying to get at,” Hyunjin sighs, before giving him what he hopes looks like a genuine smile. “I’m saying I can help you get with him, since I’m Jisung’s best friend and all.”

Seungmin glances at him, uncertainty written on his face.

“This is your chance,” Hyunjin says in an encouraging tone.

“Thank you for the offer,” Seungmin answers, hushed. There’s a bit of a nasal tone underneath it all, and the way Seungmin’s brows are furrowed makes him look a little unsure and a tiny bit adorable. “But no.”

And then he turns around, head angled down, and marches away with certainty. Hyunjin feels the slight sting of rejection, even if the assistance he offered isn’t even that important.

Seungmin’s prickly exterior kind of reminds him of Minho, just in a different manner. Hyunjin laughs it off. This is what he gets for trying to meddle, he supposes. He’s basically told to mind his own business.

***

When they meet up again, Jisung berates him for not eating lunch.

“And that’s just unfair,” he hisses, mouth moving a mile a minute. “How do you skip lunch and still be so freaking tall. I try to sleep as much as I can, eat as healthily as I can, and still, I’m nowhere near your height. What’s your secret?”

Hyunjin snickers. “DNA, my friend. You have to be born tall.”

Jisung huffs, crossing his arms in a playful manner. “Where were you during lunchtime anyway?”

Hyunjin has half a mind to tell him about Seungmin, about how the boy likes to admire Jisung from afar, at how Hyunjin cornered him at the library and offered his help, and how Seungmin refused it and walked away. But there’s a bigger, louder part of him that wants to keep Seungmin hidden, keep Seungmin all to himself. It’s senseless, is what it is.

“Nowhere important,” Hyunjin lies easily. “Just went up to the rooftop to get some fresh air. Meditate and all.”

Jisung believes him. Hyunjin has done that before anyway.

When classes end and they’ve cleaned the classroom and it’s time to leave, Hyunjin doesn’t waste time making his way to the campus exit. And once again, Hyunjin doesn’t see it coming. Much to his surprise, standing by the gate looking as cool and inconspicuous as possible is none other than Kim Seungmin.

He turns to Hyunjin upon his arrival, eyes guarded and looking as stiff as he does relaxed.

“Your help,” Seungmin begins, his tone as serious as the expression on his face. A weak gust of wind blows at that moment, and Hyunjin can’t help but notice at how Seungmin’s hair is flowy enough to be caught by it. “What would that entail, exactly?”

***

The plan is easy.

The plan is simple.

The first step is to get Jisung to notice Seungmin and to familiarize him with Seungmin's face.

Hyunjin and Seungmin are in an empty classroom after school, with Seungmin sitting on a chair while Hyunjin is relaxed on top of the desk, his feet resting on the seat. Hyunjin finds it a little surprising that Seungmin doesn’t attend_ hagwon_, even though he looks exactly the type to do so.

“To begin, we have to get his attention. And the best way to get that is to take it away.”

“What do you mean?” Seungmin asks, confused. Hyunjin doesn’t blame him because Jisung is a different type of species who thrives off of the awareness and recognition of others. And he tells Seungmin this.

“In other words, the most efficient way to make him notice you is to steal his main source of attention.”

“Who would that be?”

Hyunjin smirks. “Me.”

Seungmin looks at him with a carefully neutral expression, and Hyunjin wishes the other boy would give him a little bit of something that shows he’s at least listening and not daydreaming about sucking face with Jisung.

“We have to start getting close or at least make it look like we are,” Hyunjin begins. Seungmin nods at the beginning phases of the plan. That’s at least better than not doing anything at all, he supposes. “Jisung gets lonely easily, especially if I’m not around. So if I’m hanging out with you or if I’m friends with you, there’s no way he won’t notice you after that.”

Seungmin nods again, seeming as if he’s taking it all in. But Hyunjin isn’t sure because Seungmin is looking down again. Why is he always eyeing the floor? The floor isn’t the least bit interesting.

“I can tell you what he likes and what he doesn’t,” Hyunjin offers. “Are there any specific details you want to know?”

Seungmin blinks up at him then, surely flushing at all the questions running through his mind. Hyunjin doesn’t have all the answers though, but he’ll try his best to give the most accurate statement he could provide.

“What’s his favorite food?” Seungmin asks. Starting off light, it seems.

“Cake. He loves cake,” Hyunjin answers. “Will do anything for them. Cheesecake, chocolate cake, you name it.”

Seungmin nods, smiling. Hyunjin can see how even the tips of his ears have a dusting of pink, and that’s surprisingly cute.

“Does he play any type of instruments?” Ah, Hyunjin likes this one. A good way to start a conversation with Jisung is through music.

“He plays the guitar if my memory serves me correctly. But honestly, just talk about music, and he’d be hooked to the conversation in no time.”

Seungmin nods once more. “Uhh…”

“Is that it?” Hyunjin asks, amused. No way that that’s all he has for Hyunjin. Seungmin has been crushing on Jisung, and yet doesn’t have much to wonder about? “Nothing else you want to ask? You don’t want to know his ideal type or anything? Or what his dream date would be?”

Seungmin glances at him before looking down and shaking his head. It makes Hyunjin a little annoyed.

“What the heck? You don’t really seem into this.”

“It’s not that,” Seungmin says, voice low.

“Look, I’m trying to help here,” Hyunjin sighs, a little bothered. This is a little more challenging than he thought it would be. “Since you don’t have many questions for me, let’s move on to confessions. Assuming you’ve made progress, gotten his attention, made conversation, and you're on his radar, I suggest kissing him first before actually confessing.”

Seungmin gives him a weird look.

“He’ll like the spontaneity, trust me. But before you do go kissing him, I suggest you practice first. He really likes kissing, and bad kissing skills are a dealbreaker for him, just so you know.”

“That’s not necessary,” Seungmin blurts out, eyes half-hidden by his hair.

“What do you mean that’s not necessary? Of course, it is.”

“No,” Seungmin argues. “The thing is… I don’t really want to be anything with Jisung.”

Hyunjin does a double-take but then realizes why exactly Seungmin doesn’t expect anything. He must have heard about how the people who _did_ confess to Jisung had ended up being rejected, with the lame excuse that the boy was already harboring feelings for someone else. 

“You mean like, you’re not expecting to date him? You never know, man. I mean, I think he does have his eye on someone already, but you kind of remind me of him, so that could prove to be in your favor.”

“That might be it,” Seungmin says, voice still at low volume for whatever reason. “It’s more like… I’m pretty satisfied with the way things are now. I’m content just watching and admiring from afar.”

Hyunjin mentally facepalms. This is all for nothing then?

“Why did you say yes to my help in the first place? Why did you accept my offer if you already knew you wouldn’t do anything about it.”

Seungmin stares at him calculatedly, and Hyunjin feels the hair in the back of his neck stand up for some reason.

“I suppose just hearing about him lifts up my mood. And listening to you talk about him makes me happy,” Seungmin says shyly, brows furrowed and eyes glossy. “That’s why you don’t actually need to help me out with anything.”

Hyunjin looks at him in bewilderment. Seungmin looks down once more, and Hyunjin can’t help but observe how the hairs on his head meet up at the top like a whirlpool.

“Just telling me about him is enough.”

Hyunjin feels a flash of annoyance, perhaps at how his time is wasted for nothing.

“That’s not worth it at all.”

“I guess you’re right,” Seungmin answers. “I don’t want to do anything because I’m scared. I don’t do well in the face of rejection.”

Hyunjin feels the same.

Seeing Seungmin like this, embarrassed at learning about mere tiny details of his crush, has Hyunjin realizing that he’s never felt emotions that deep before. Hyunjin has never been in love, at least not to the point of being shy at just knowing what his crush’s favorite foods are.

What Hyunjin can at least take from this is that they’re similar in a way. Like Seungmin, he also doesn’t handle rejection well, which is most probably why he hasn’t been keen on finding anyone to develop feelings for. And even if he does, he thinks both him and Seungmin are calculated in what they do, methodical in the fact that they won’t fully pursue anything unless they’re sure the other feels something.

Though the main difference is, while Seungmin does it in seriousness, Hyunjin operates in jest. Where Seungmin is genuine and thoughtful, Hyunjin plays around in indifference and self-preservation, using his somewhat whimsical attitude as a shield from his emotions.

They’re not the same. They’re very different in how they function, in essence.

And it’s this thought that has Hyunjin disliking Seungmin just a little bit.

***

“But what part though?” Hyunjin asks through a mouthful of _ jjajangmyeon_. 

“You shouldn’t talk with your mouth full,” Seungmin scolds him offhandedly. Hyunjin scoffs but does as he’s told.

“Aren’t you getting a little too comfortable?” Hyunjin comments in a playful manner. But then Seungmin is dipping his head.

“Am I? Sorry.”

Hyunjin sighs. Honestly, he was only kidding. Seungmin should lighten up. “You should lighten up, Seungmin. I was only joking, relax. I didn’t mean it.”

“Well, it’s not that good a joke, is it?” Seungmin says, his trademark expression back on his face. For someone who looks so serious, he sure does have a mischievous side. Maybe Seungmin isn’t as plain as Hyunjin first thought he was. And again, his snarky words remind him of a certain dancer.

“But okay, back to my question. Is it his humor? Because I wouldn’t blame you; he’s really funny,” Hyunjin goes on animatedly. “He’s not bad-looking either. Maybe it’s the way he bites his lips. Or is it his eyes? His eyes are really nice and big and round.” 

Hyunjin is expecting an answer, perhaps one that would match the intensity of Seungmin’s feelings for Jisung. But Seungmin isn’t saying anything, seemingly too much in thought. When Hyunjin thinks that Seungmin isn’t going to respond, he tries to stop the silence from stretching too long.

“There has to be something that truly caught your attention, that one part of him that made you go _ ‘Oh. Okay. It’s that kind of like.’ _”

Seungmin shrugs, feigning disinterest even when it’s just the two of them right now. They’re in a little joint that Hyunjin and Seungmin stumbled upon on the way back from school. It’s a restaurant of sorts, but it’s cheap and good and perfect for hungry high school students short on cash with black holes for stomachs.

“The truth is, I’m not quite sure what it is I truly find enticing, but seeing him going about and doing everyday stuff… it makes me feel content,” Seungmin answers, rubbing the back of his neck. “And before I knew it, I couldn’t stop watching him. I suppose there’s not any _ one _ particular thing, but rather a build-up of small pieces of information.”

It’s a little generic and a lot lame, Hyunjin thinks, but he’s not going to say that.

“Well, you were really obvious about it.”

Seungmin smiles sadly. “I’ll be more careful about it then.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Hyunjin tries one more time. He thought they’d been over this before. “Truthfully, I don’t think you need to worry about him noticing. All the people that confessed to him, he said he didn’t even know they liked him like that. I’m sure he won’t be able to detect your feelings for him from one simple eye contact.”

“But, Hyunjin,” Seungmin replies, his voice a little whiny. “_You _ noticed.”

Hyunjin giggles. “Well, I’m a professional at this. I guess you could say I have a sixth sense for this type of stuff.”

“You said I was obvious though.” Seungmin is truly whining now, if the nasal tone in his voice is anything to go by.

“I was exaggerating,” Hyunjin tries, taking a sip of his water. “My bad. Look, don’t worry too much about it, okay?”

Seungmin hides his face in his hands then, and Hyunjin can see the utter hopelessness oozing out of him like an aura he can’t shake off.

“Seungmin, what’s wrong? Why are you covering your face like that?”

“I’m sorry,” he says all of a sudden. What’s he saying sorry for? Hyunjin is trying to rack his brain for a reason that warrants it. “I shouldn’t have been too obvious. If that were the case, we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. I’m probably being a burden to you, aren’t I?”

Where is this coming from?

“You aren’t being a burden to me,” Hyunjin replies. “I got into this of my own volition.”

“And I don’t get why, exactly.” Seungmin’s still covering his face, and he looks stressed, so stressed that Hyunjin almost wants to pet his head to relieve him from it. But then Seungmin is peeking out with a sigh, folding his hands on top of the table and looking as if he wasn’t just at the point of melting down only seconds before. 

“Hyunjin, why are you trying to help me? What are you trying to get out of this? There’s no merit in offering your assistance. I have nothing to give you in return either. At least, nothing you don’t already have. And talking to me… it must be boring.”

“Relax with the self-deprecation, yeah? It doesn’t suit your innocent face.”

Seungmin nods.

Why is he helping Seungmin, exactly? He supposes the main reason would be to get his best friend to settle down and finally drop his feelings for a certain college student. To Hyunjin, that’s a small reason in and of itself. And it seems, Seungmin thinks the same.

Hyunjin has to admit that Seungmin is correct in most of what he said. There’s no benefit in helping Seungmin, other than perhaps to make himself feel better for helping someone. That’s a reason too weak for something Hyunjin is putting quite a bit of his efforts toward. And Seungmin has nothing to give in return either. He has more money than Seungmin. He’s more popular than Seungmin. Maybe he’s a tiny bit prettier? He guesses he could use Seungmin’s brains, but Hyunjin immediately dismisses the idea and berates himself for even thinking close to that.

So no, Hyunjin also doesn’t know. He has an inkling, but it’s something he doesn’t quite understand, and even if he does, it’s something he’s not sure he’s ready to name.

Seungmin is wrong about one thing though.

“And talking to you isn’t boring,” Hyunjin says, beaming. “Not really.”

***

It’s stupid.

The way Hyunjin is reminded of Seungmin whenever he’s with Jisung, it’s stupid. Because Jisung and Hyunjin were friends first. And yet, Hyunjin’s mind summons Seungmin’s neutral expression when he’s hanging out with Jisung, not the other way around.

What’s worse is that, when he’s spending time with Seungmin, Jisung barely crosses his mind unless he’s the main topic at hand.

So yes, it’s stupid and dumb and it makes Hyunjin want to hit Jisung with a ball for some reason. So he does. They’re playing volleyball in P.E. anyway, so he could use that as an excuse.

“Hyunjin, what the fuck?” Jisung yells, when Hyunjin serves it directly at Jisung’s back.

“Sorry,” Hyunjin tries, trying to look apologetic. “My hand kind of slipped while I was serving.”

Jisung gives him a stink face. “You liar! I’ve seen you serve a volleyball with pinpoint accuracy many times. You did that on purpose!”

Jisung is trying to rub his own back now, but it honestly just looks more like he’s not sure what to do with his own body.

“You were in the way,” Hyunjin answers, and is surprised by the truth behind his words. “It’s your own fault.”

Jisung pouts at him then. “That’s mean. You’re being mean.”

“No, I’m not.”

They’re actually five.

“Yes, you are,” Jisung crosses his arms. “And you’ve been cold to me lately, what gives?”

“You’re imagining things, Jisung.”

It’s stupid.

The way Jisung is pissing Hyunjin off, it’s stupid. They’re best friends, but Hyunjin is letting something, or more specifically someone, get in between their friendship, and it’s stupid.

But Hyunjin is nothing short of possessive.

So yeah, he’s stupid.

***

Obviously, it’s not enough to actually create a rift in their friendship. Hyunjin is just exaggerating, mostly because it’s the first time that there’s even remotely anything that threatens their friendship, other than their occasional big arguments, but that’s another story entirely.

“I’ve just been spending time with a new friend,” Hyunjin explains, walking down the hallway with Jisung by his side.

“Not to replace me, I hope,” Jisung says cheerfully, hands behind his head like he’s on his way to the beach.

“I don’t think anyone can even come close to how much you sponge off of me, you blood-sucking worm. You're not exactly very easy to replace.”

“Ah! That’s good to know!” Jisung beams.

Hyunjin laughs. 

Like Hyunjin mentioned before, he’s pretty perceptive. It’s no shock that Hyunjin would notice even from such a distance, he’s tall after all. He feels a little funny at the sight up ahead. It’s Seungmin, walking on the opposite side of the hallway with Felix in tow, still looking at them with that expressionless face and dazed eyes. It’s funny because Hyunjin has been with Seungmin a lot lately, and it feels almost awkward to be on the opposite side of the hallway without much interaction.

So Hyunjin does something he hasn’t done before. It’s the perfect chance too since Jisung is right next to him.

“Morning.” Hyunjin greets him as the two pairs of friends pass each other, claiming multiple birds with one stone.

Seungmin, blushing and seemingly nervous, says it back. “Good morning, Hyunjin.”

Gosh, he doesn’t think he’s seen Seungmin this flushed. Even his nape looks a little red. He chalks up the strong reaction to the fact that Jisung was mere centimeters from Seungmin. Hyunjin thinks that’s probably the closest they’ve ever gotten. 

“Oh?” Jisung lights up, turning to Hyunjin. “Is Seungmin the person you’ve been hanging out with lately?”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin answers thoughtlessly. But then the sentence fully registers in his mind, and Hyunjin is a little surprised to know that Jisung knows Seungmin by his name. Hyunjin didn’t even mention it right now when he greeted him a good morning, so how the heck? “You know Seungmin?”

“Mhm,” Jisung nods, smiling. “I talked to him for a little bit.”

“When?” Hyunjin attempts to say evenly.

“I don’t remember. A couple of days ago?” Jisung says thoughtfully. “He’s friends with Jeongin, and they were hanging around the music room when I happened to pass by, so I stopped by for a little chat.”

“What did you guys talk about?” Hyunjin keeps his face neutral.

“Hmm,” Jisung hums. “I don’t really remember much. We talked about music for sure, since they seemed like they were there for a purpose. Other than that, I think we just talked about whatever topic came up, like who’s dating who and shit, nothing important.”

Hyunjin gives Jisung a smile. “Ah.”

“I can see why you like hanging out with him though. He seems a bit dull at first, but he’s actually really nice and passionate about the things he does, even if he sounds a little bit timid. He’s cute.”

_ He’s cute. _

Perhaps Seungmin didn’t need Hyunjin’s help after all. He’s irritated at the fact that he just wasted a lot of time helping Seungmin in something he probably didn’t need help with at all.

More so than that, Hyunjin also feels a little upset at the fact that Seungmin didn’t tell him about it. Not that Seungmin is obligated to tell him how every step of his relationship with Jisung is going, but one would think that they’d be in this together, just like how it’s been from the very beginning.

He feels a little betrayed, not at the fact that Seungmin didn’t tell him immediately but at the fact that Seungmin didn’t think to tell him _ at all_. And perhaps, Hyunjin is thinking too much into things, but isn’t that a little inconsiderate?

What’s worse is that Hyunjin feels annoyed at himself for being annoyed. It’s not even the biggest of deals, Hyunjin supposes, but it grates him to no end nonetheless. And that he’s annoyed with himself stresses him out. And the fact that he’s stressed out stresses him out even more. It’s a never-ending vicious cycle.

In the face of irritation welcomes ill-advised actions, so Hyunjin pulls out his phone to text someone he hasn’t texted in more than two weeks.

***

_ Sounds good_, Hyunjin replies back and pockets his phone, swallowing the uneasiness making its way up his throat.

When he leaves the classroom to go home, he sees Seungmin waiting near the entrance.

“Hey,” Seungmin greets, hands on the straps of his backpack as he gives Hyunjin a tight-lipped smile. “Do you have time to talk today? We can go get _ jjajangmyeon _ again.”

“Sorry, I’ve actually got a date this afternoon,” Hyunjin replies, because he’s immature. He says it because he’s a loser. Because he values self-preservation over common courtesy and genuine kindness.

“Oh,” Seungmin says, stunned. “I didn’t even realize you were seeing someone. I’m sorry.”

Hyunjin doesn’t want to look at Seungmin’s face. He’s weak-willed.

“Seeing someone? Yeah, I suppose you could call it that,” Hyunjin answers. And there’s this palpable tension in the air that makes Hyunjin want to fall into a pit and be swallowed by the ground. “I haven’t seen her much recently.”

Hyunjin hears Seungmin gulp. “Ah, sorry. I must have taken up a lot of your time recently. I wasn’t even thinking about the plans you were missing, just thought of what I was getting in return. So rude and silly of me. I’ll just- I’ll go excuse myself.”

Seungmin scurries away before Hyunjin could say another word, head down as usual. And Hyunjin feels like the biggest asshole on Earth. He’s probably not wrong. He probably is.

Hyunjin is such a child.

He walks dejectedly to the campus gate, and it reminds him of when he first saw Seungmin standing there. It makes him grit his teeth because he’s so dumb, so easily swayed by the emotions he tries so hard to repress. But then someone is tapping him on the shoulder.

“Hyunjin! I’m surprised you texted again,” Chaewon says, but she’s smiling nonetheless. “To be honest with you, I didn’t expect anything after that first meeting at the cafe.”

Hyunjin raises an eyebrow.

“Ah! No, not that I don’t appreciate you reaching out again. I just thought that _ you _ thought that we didn’t hit it off,” Chaewon laughs nervously. “I wasn’t butthurt or anything. Oh gosh, I’m making this worse, aren’t I?”

“It’s fine,” Hyunjin snickers. Perhaps in another timeline, he would have preferred Chaewon’s thin face over Seungmin’s fluffy one, but alas.

They’re walking down a familiar street on the way back from school, and talk has been bland in the last hour, and Hyunjin is really regretting his decision at the moment.

“What should we eat today?” Chaewon asks, walking a pace ahead of Hyunjin. He can practically see the little clouds hovering around her head, and Hyunjin is a Grade-A jerk for dragging someone as sweet as Chaewon into this mess. Innocent hearts need not be broken, and he’s an idiot for texting her to meet him after school if he’s just going to act this cold.

“You choose.”

“Uhm, okay?” Chaewon says with uncertainty, probably from Hyunjin’s lack of presence. Hyunjin doesn’t blame her. He’d be irritated too.

Regardless of the guilt threatening its way into his chest, he still can’t help but think about Seungmin. He should have just gone home with him. Hyunjin wonders where he is right now, if he’s flushed and looking down at the floor and thinking of… Thinking of someone who decidedly_ isn’t _ Hyunjin.

“How about there?” Chaewon is pointing at a cafe near the _ jjajangmyeon _ place Hyunjin and Seungmin had frequented. And Hyunjin’s breath hitches.

As he’s mentioned many times before, he’s nothing short of perceptive. And he notices first the mop of dark hair that’s looking at the ground, and Hyunjin takes in the curves of the person’s shoulders and back and knows that if he walks a few steps more, he’d be able to see Seungmin’s side profile.

It all clicks into place then.

Or perhaps it already had before, and Hyunjin was simply too stubborn to accept it.

“Uhm, Chaewon, I’m sorry,” Hyunjin starts, but from the way Chaewon’s expression changes, it seems this was something she was expecting. “I’m really sorry. I’m a jerk, an asshole, stupid beyond compare.”

“Why do you say that?” she says with her arms crossed.

“I shouldn’t have texted you because you’re right, I didn’t feel anything then and I don’t feel anything now. The truth is, I messaged you because I was trying to get over someone, and it wasn’t fair for me to use you like that, especially with how my brain wasn’t even present throughout our whole walk. I really, truly apologize, and I would understand if you don’t forgive me.”

Chaewon squints at him with a sharp glare, and then she closes her eyes and sighs.

“I accept your apology. I wasn’t joking about not hitting it off on the first date, and today proves exactly that. Anyway, it was awkward for me too, to be honest. It was like talking to a brick wall,” she huffs and then lightly slaps Hyunjin on the shoulder. “It’s okay though, I understand. I mean, I was also trying to get over someone on the first date, so I guess now we’re even.”

She cackles.

Hyunjin laughs nervously. Well, that went rather smoothly. Should he be offended that he was used first? One look at Chaewon says that no, he shouldn’t. She seems genuine in the things that she does.

“I’m just going to go now, if that’s okay with you? I’d rather not spend money, if we’re not even going to talk.”

Hyunjin nods in agreement. “Thank you for understanding.”

“No biggie. But you owe me ice cream or something,” she mentions as she walks away, cackling again. “No questions!”

Hyunjin snickers because he can’t do much else. “You got it.”

And then she’s skipping away as Hyunjin makes his way quickly to _ their _ place, almost running at this point. As soon as he enters, he doesn’t waste time making his way to Seungmin’s table.

Seungmin, looking as if he hasn’t seen Hyunjin yet, sighs before standing up. It seems as if Seungmin is done with his meal and is on the way out, but Hyunjin is nothing short of persistent. He supposes that that’s also one of his qualities.

“Seungmin,” Hyunjin breathes out, hand quickly grabbing onto Seungmin’s arm.

The other looks back at Hyunjin with wide eyes, obviously taken by surprise. Hyunjin lets go of him then, hopes that the touch from earlier wasn’t inappropriate.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Hyunjin finishes lamely.

“You didn’t. Much,” Seungmin answers, before staring at the ground again. He’s not vain or anything, but Hyunjin thinks he is much, much more interesting the ground. “What are you doing here? I thought you were seeing your girlfriend?”

Hyunjin shakes his head. “What are you talking about? I don’t have a girlfriend. I said I was seeing someone, but uhm… I kind of told them it wasn’t working out.”

Seungmin glances up at him, surely shocked at how Hyunjin just easily called it off. His mouth is a little open, and Hyunjin thinks Seungmin is really pretty if he would just look up more often. “Why would you do that?”

Hyunjin shrugs. This is Hyunjin’s chance, to tell Seungmin that maybe he feels something for him. That he may have a crush on him the way Seungmin has a crush on Jisung. And oh gosh, _ Seungmin has a crush on Jisung_. He had almost forgotten.

Wouldn’t it be selfish to want Seungmin now? To take away the chance that Seungmin and Jisung could have? For starting a project based on altruism and getting a boyfriend for his best friend, Hyunjin sure is doing a very poor job.

Hyunjin has many redeeming qualities, and he’s boasted about them already. Like how he’s perceptive. How he’s persistent when the time calls for it. Okay, so has exactly two redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, bravery isn’t one of them.

“I called it off because I realized I didn’t like her much.” _ Or at all, _ his mind supplies.

“Did you want to sit?” Seungmin asks all of a sudden, even though Hyunjin was positive that the younger boy was definitely on his way out.

“I-Is that okay?”

Seungmin nods. Hyunjin does as he’s asked, sitting comfortably right in front of Seungmin. And then Seungmin is chuckling. Hyunjin doesn’t think he’s heard a better sound.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re all sweaty,” Seungmin says, trying to hide what’s obviously a smile.

“Hey, don’t laugh,” Hyunjin pouts. “It’s not funny.”

“My bad,” Seungmin says, though there’s still a hint of a smile on his face. “I just haven’t seen you this hurried before.”

“Is that right? What about P.E.?”

“That obviously doesn’t count,” Seungmin replies, voice soft. “But I mean, I always thought you were kind of this cool guy, tall and stoic and kind of like an adult. You were always calm and collected, even when Jisung would bother you.”

“I’m not cool at all,” Hyunjin snorts. He’s far from the cool guy that Seungmin views him as, far from a stoic adult who’s always calm and collected. “Lately, I haven’t been acting stoic or calm or collected. Or an adult for that matter.”

Seungmin blinks. Hyunjin is about to open his mouth when-

“Friends! Is this where you two have been hiding?”

Hyunjin and Seungmin look up to see Jisung beaming brightly down at them, not unlike how the sun does high at noon.

“Jisung! Hi.” Hyunjin greets him.

“Hello,” Jisung says, elongating the last syllable. “Mind if I join you guys?”

Hyunjin glances at Seungmin before looking back at Jisung. Isn’t this the moment they’ve been waiting for?

“Yeah, totally- What the heck? Don’t climb over, you uncultured barbarian.”

Regardless of Hyunjin’s warning, Jisung climbs over the mini-wall that’s separating them. And then Jisung is hissing in pain, hand grabbing at his crotch area.

“Ouch, fuck. I hit my balls.”

Seungmin is laughing now, eyes disappearing into crescents. And Hyunjin kind of wants to hit Jisung on the balls one more time, just to hear and see Seungmin laugh and smile like that again.

When Jisung finally seats himself correctly next to Hyunjin, he points an accusatory finger at the taller boy. “You’re hanging out with Seungmin again?”

Hyunjin scoffs. “Of course, I am. I can’t stand your attitude 24/7. I need a break. Do you have a problem with that?”

Seungmin is quiet, seemingly content with just watching them bicker, and Hyunjin doesn’t know why he’s feeling like he’s under a microscope suddenly.

“But Hyunjin,” Jisung grabs his arm again, rubbing his cheeks on Hyunjin’s shoulder. “You’ve been super close with Seungmin lately. I want to join! Let me in on it. Let me hang out with you guys too! I’ve been getting lonely.”

“You want to join in?”

Jisung nods. “Can I not?”

“It’s not that, it’s—” Hyunjin takes a peek at Seungmin, and he looks expressionless once again, but there’s a dusting of pink high on his cheeks. And Hyunjin is suddenly reminded of the very real, very harsh fact that Seungmin has feelings for Jisung. And Hyunjin would be a fool to get in the way of that.

He tries to swallow the lump that was building up in his throat, but it’s difficult. His throat is so, so dry.

“—it’s… it’s alright. You can hang out with us.”

Hyunjin can’t get in the way now, not when Seungmin is probably counting on him. Instead, he smiles throughout the whole ordeal, even when he doesn’t feel like it, even when he’d rather be alone with Seungmin right at this moment, talking about anything and everything that isn’t Jisung.

“Sweet,” Jisung says excitedly, grinning at Hyunjin and then at Seungmin. “I’ve been wanting to get to know Seungmin better, and now I finally have the chance.”

Seungmin gives him a small smile, dipping his head as he looks between Jisung and Hyunjin. Jisung is the first to say anything remotely conversational.

“Do you play Nintendo Switch, by any chance?”

***

Seungmin does, in fact, play Nintendo Switch. And Seungmin does, in fact, play Smash Ultimate. And Seungmin does, in fact, want to play it this weekend with Jisung because Seungmin’s parents are out of town, and his room isn’t small, and he’s always wanted to have guests over so this is the perfect time.

But Seungmin invited Hyunjin too, eyes looking desperate and giving the impression that he’s going to need a lot of help over the weekend.

Hyunjin weighs his options. A lonely weekend in his bedroom, wondering what Seungmin and Jisung are doing? Or a not-so-lonely weekend in Seungmin’s bedroom, seeing firsthand what exactly Seungmin and Jisung are doing.

He had half a mind to choose the former, but then Seungmin had blinked at him and mouthed ‘please’ and honestly, how could Hyunjin say no to that? He’s only human, after all.

And so he wakes early on Saturday, dressed down in comfortable clothing but stylish nonetheless. He doesn’t want Seungmin seeing him in bad fashion, that would be less than ideal.

Hyunjin looks at the address on his phone and checks the address of the building in front of him. Sure enough, it’s the same address that’s currently typed in the small screen of Hyunjin’s phone.

He makes his way up the steps, sees a call box with numerous buttons and apartment numbers by their side. He checks the message Seungmin sent and sees his house number on there.

Trying his best not to accidentally disturb people, Hyunjin accurately presses the button for Apartment 4419. Within seconds, the door buzzes open, and Hyunjin enters. It’s not the most pristine inside, but Hyunjin has definitely seen worse. It’s not bad, if anything.

He bows to the people he passes, who return his bow with a confused look on their face, surely not having seen his face around this building before. When he gets inside the elevator, Hyunjin presses the number 4. It would make sense.

Tapping his foot to the tacky elevator music, Hyunjin wonders what Seungmin has been doing in the last hour and if Jisung is already there, having beaten him to it. When the elevator opens, Hyunjin immediately looks at the first door and sees the shining 4401 at around eye-level.

Sighing, he marches all the way to the end of the hall. How should he act? He could act cool as he’s been doing the past couple of weeks with Seungmin, though Hyunjin wonders if that’s getting a bit tiring, predictable. In that case, should he act indifferent? An image of Hyunjin looking bored and emotionless pops up in his head and he figures that no, this isn’t the correct answer either. 

This is hard.

What should he say to Seungmin? He doesn’t get to ponder on this much, because Apartment 4419 is in front of him now, and his right hand is in a fist. Biting his lip, Hyunjin brings his hand up to the door and knocks three times. The door feels weird against his knuckles. Perhaps it’s just nerves.

It’s only a few seconds when the doorknob finally turns. Hyunjin has to hold himself back because the first thing he sees as soon as the door opens is a flustered Seungmin with a beaming Jisung hanging off of his shoulders.

Wow, they sure have gotten close in such a short amount of time.

“Hyunjin, my tardy friend. You finally made it!” Jisung says loudly on a Saturday morning.

Hyunjin tries not to grit his teeth at the lack of distance between his best friend and the guy he has feelings for. 

“Good morning,” Hyunjin greets.

“Good morning,” Seungmin returns, smiling.

“Thanks for inviting me over.”

Seungmin nods.

“Seungmin’s place is pretty cool, man,” Jisung announces, as if he’s been here before. As if he’s been inside _ many times_. And perhaps he has. Hyunjin doesn’t know. “I’ll show you around!”

Jisung does give him a small tour, but not before Hyunjin takes off his shoes and wears the slippers that Seungmin had so kindly provided for him.

Hyunjin lets himself be pulled by Jisung, the mouth of his overexcited friend moving seven syllables a second. Seungmin, the generous and responsible boy that he is, makes them ramen because it’s never too early for ramen.

They’re relaxing in Seungmin’s room, stomachs full and bowls empty when Jisung brings out his Nintendo Switch.

“Watch the fuck out, bros,” he warns as he inserts Smash Ultimate into the console. “Prepare to get fucked in the ass.”

Seungmin snickers, even though he’s looking warm and flushed. Hyunjin rolls his eyes, because _ yes, Jisung, that’s what Hyunjin has been trying to do the last couple of days, please leave. _

Seungmin is surprisingly good at Smash, Jisung just the slightest bit better. And they’re on their tenth match, Hyunjin choosing not to continue at around game five because they’re obviously trying to battle each other, and obviously want to play people their level, and Hyunjin is just not that good.

Jisung ends up winning 3-2 in the last five games when Seungmin concedes.

“You’re just too good, Jisung,” Seungmin admits, hands up in surrender. “And Hyunjin looks like he wants to murder my TV from boredom, and I can’t have that.”

That’s not true??? 

Okay, it’s half true. He’s bored, but he doesn’t want to murder Seungmin’s TV. That’s _ Seungmin’s_, and he can’t exactly do that to anything Seungmin possesses.

“I can’t be beaten, man,” Jisung whistles, shakings off his hands. “I’m just too good, I guess.”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t spam Richter’s projectiles, it would’ve been a different story,” Seungmin bites back, and yet still, his voice is even and face expressionless.

“All is fair in love and war.”

Hyunjin ponders at the accuracy of that saying. Perhaps. He’s about to comment when Jisung gasps in shock.

“Wow, Seungmin, you have all of the Day6 albums?”

Seungmin comes over to where Jisung is perusing the albums that Seungmin has in his collection. Hyunjin doesn’t comment on the pink tint on the back of Seungmin’s neck.

“Yeah, I’m a big fan of them,” Seungmin answers.

“Oh, sweet, man, me too. Do you have a favorite album?”

“The only answer to that is Sunrise,” Seungmin huffs, hands on his own waist. And Hyunjin has to stop himself from commenting how cute he is. “Any other answer is completely wrong.”

“If you’re insinuating that Sunrise is better than the musical masterpiece that is _ Moon_rise, then I’m going to have to stop you right there.”

Seungmin sputters. Hyunjin feels like an awkward third wheel. Perhaps he really should have just stayed home and given them their space.

“I like Got7,” Hyunjin says out of nowhere, trying to get into the conversation.

Both Jisung and Seungmin turn their heads slowly, almost as if they’ve forgotten that Hyunjin was even there.

“Got7 is okay,” Jisung says the same time as Seungmin goes, “Got7 is pretty cool too.”

Hyunjin doesn’t want to be in the lovers’ quarrel that’s about to ensue. Is it even a lovers’ quarrel if they’re not even lovers yet? Hyunjin hates how that statement ends with the word yet.

“I feel like getting some snacks,” Jisung declares suddenly, pouting.

“There’s a convenience store nearby,” Seungmin offers.

“Oh, yeah? I’m going to get something. Seungmin, come with me.”

And wait a minute, hold the phone. Hyunjin _ did not _ just wake up early, on a Saturday morning no less, and walk twenty minutes just to be abandoned and excluded from all these activities.

“Stop hogging, Seungmin,” Hyunjin says because his mouth has no filter, and Hyunjin really, really wants to have his fair share of Seungmin time. After all, Seungmin was Hyunjin’s friend first before he was Jisung’s. “You’ve had your turn.”

“What are you talking about? You’ve basically kept him to yourself the last few weeks,” Jisung argues. And that’s totally true, Hyunjin supposes. But as Jisung had so kindly pointed out earlier, all is fair in love and war. “Plus, I don’t live near here, so I don’t know where the convenience store is. I need Seungmin to guide me.”

Jisung then locks his arm with Seungmin, and the taller boy looks sheepish as he glances at Hyunjin in apology. Hyunjin crosses his arms in annoyance as the two of them make their way out of Seungmin’s room.

It’s really going to be like this, Hyunjin thinks. How is he going to survive the next few weeks? Heck, how is he going to survive the next few hours? He lays his head back, closing his eyes as he tries not to stress himself out.

What is he doing exactly? What nasty situation has he gotten himself into? He breathes out slowly.

“Fuck.”

And just as he’s about to put his head in his hands, he hears thundering footsteps outside. And then the door is opening to reveal a breathless Seungmin, open-mouthed and wide-eyed and pink-cheeked. Hyunjin’s heart skips a beat.

“Wh-? Did you forget something?” Hyunjin asks, swallowing.

“I- uhm… I—”

“Seungmin? Where’d you go?” Jisung asks from the outside, footsteps distinguishable in the otherwise quiet apartment. “Huh? Did you go back to your room?”

Without thinking, Hyunjin rushes to close the door and lock it, just a second before Jisung gets to the doorknob it seems.

“What the? Why did you guys lock me out?” Jisung says frantically.

“Give us a second,” Hyunjin answers, almost pleading.

“This isn’t funny,” Jisung cries, banging on the door a little bit. “Let me in, asshole.”

“Jisung, shut the fuck up for a second, yeah?” Hyunjin hisses, his emotions taking over him. But then Jisung isn’t saying more, and Hyunjin silently thanks his best friend for obeying him. “What were you saying, Seungmin?”

Seungmin is standing in front of Hyunjin, looking at him with half-lidded eyes. Hyunjin, for his sake, can’t do anything but rest his back on the door and take in the sight in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” he says, swallowing. He closes his eyes, head down in what seems to be an apologetic manner. “I’m sorry, Hyunjin. I took you up on your offer, but I lied the whole time. It’s actually you who I have feelings for all this time, not Jisung. And I took advantage of your offer and used that as an excuse to hang out with you.”

Speechless, Hyunjin can do nothing except stare at Seungmin. He doesn’t have the words to say anything, heart beating fast at the sudden revelation.

“I thought that even if you didn’t want it, even if you misunderstood my intentions, I’d be happy just to spend my time with you. I thought I’d be satisfied with just being your friend, but it turns out...” Seungmin confesses, looking up to make eye contact with Hyunjin one more time. “It turns out I’m not satisfied with being just your friend. And I want to be more than that, if you’ll have me.”

Seungmin is gazing at him, eyes glassy like they usually are. His face is carefully neutral, as if he’s trying his best to contain whatever emotion he’s feeling. And Hyunjin? Hyunjin understands.

You see, Hyunjin is nothing short of perceptive, which is why he’s shocked to find out that Seungmin had been watching him all this time, not Jisung. Seungmin had been admiring him from afar all this time, not Jisung. And Hyunjin can’t believe he’s mistaken it this whole time, but every piece of the puzzle starts to make sense.

Why Seungmin didn’t enter the cafeteria that day, even though Jisung was in there, no doubt. Why Seungmin had little to no question about Jisung’s likes and dislikes. Why he’s perfectly content with hearing about Jisung, not because the topic is Jisung but because the one who was telling it was Hyunjin. Why he always looks down around Hyunjin, almost as if he’s afraid that Hyunjin would see through him, through his eyes, because he was being ‘obvious.’ Why he was so flustered that one day, more so than any other time Hyunjin has seen, because Hyunjin had said a simple ‘morning’ to him in passing, in public at that. Why Seungmin had invited him to tag along this weekend because Hyunjin wasn’t being used as a means to an end. 

He _ is _ the end.

Hyunjin is so overwhelmed with this epiphany and his raging emotions that he almost forgets to answer. Except he can’t find the right words to express what he’s been feeling. And Seungmin is looking at him like he’s about to cry, like he thinks this was all a big mistake, even when in Hyunjin’s mind, mistake is the farthest thing from what he thinks this is.

So without thought or any preamble, Hyunjin pulls Seungmin by the shoulder and crashes their lips together. Fireworks are nothing compared to the millions of sparks that go off when their lips touch. They’re nothing compared to the warmth of Seungmin’s embrace, as if they’re kissing under the light of a thousand stars. No, not stars, they’re too small and too far away to have any impact. A thousand suns is more like it.

Hyunjin wraps his arms around Seungmin’s waist, lifting him up the slightest bit because he’s always wanted to do that to someone. Seungmin smiles into the kiss, snaking his arms around Hyunjin’s neck as he tiptoes the tiniest bit just to be the same height.

Seungmin doesn’t stop diving forward with every kiss and neither does Hyunjin, giving as good as he gets, surely reclaiming the time they’ve lost for being two dum-dums who were either too focused on the task at hand or too content with the situation they were thrust upon.

They pull back after a few minutes, breathing heavily into the space between them. Seungmin’s eyes are glossed over, and Hyunjin wonders how he’s missed the way Seungmin looks at him.

“Are you guys done yet?” Jisung yells from the other side, crabby.

“Why don’t you go to the convenience store, Jisung. Maybe by the time you come back, the door will be unlocked,” Hyunjin shouts through the door, knowing that the chances of them being finished by then are very low.

“Y’all are bitches, making me a third wheel and shit,” Jisung grumbles but makes his way out regardless. The last thing Hyunjin hears before the front door closes is Jisung whining, “Yes? Minho-hyung? It’s your favorite _ dongsaeng_.”

Hyunjin shakes his head.

“Now where were we?”

“I take it you want to be more than friends too, right?” Seungmin asks, leaning into Hyunjin.

“Yes, Seungminnie,” Hyunjin pecks him on the lip. “Can I call you that?”

Seungmin nods, smiling at him with eyes sparkling like stardust.

Hyunjin would like to retract some of the statements he had said earlier. Seeing Seungmin like this, flushed and embarrassed at being called a nickname, has Hyunjin realizing that this is the first time he’s ever felt emotions this deep. Hyunjin has never been in love, but he does feel distinctly warm at seeing how Seungmin looks shy and flustered in his arms.

What Hyunjin can at least take from this is that they’re similar in a way. Like Seungmin, he doesn’t handle stressful situations well, this moment being the big exception. Instead, they usually falter in the face of challenge.

Though the main difference is, while Seungmin does it in self-denying ways, Hyunjin does it in self-destructive ones. Where Seungmin is content with being stagnant, unable to step forward, Hyunjin can be found ruining the very relationships he’s worked hard to create.

They’re not the same. They’re very different in how they function, in essence. But they make each other work. 

And it’s with this thought that has Hyunjin loving Seungmin a little bit more, come what may.

**Author's Note:**

> SOOOOO!!! I know this is tagged SeungJin, but would y'all have guessed that Seungmin liked Hyunjin from the beginning? I tried hard not to make it apparent and give hints lol.
> 
> Anyway! I hope you all enjoyed this fic. Thank you so much for making it all the way to the end.
> 
> Once again, this fic was heavily inspired by Kanjou Spectrum, and if you read it, you'll see that this is basically that manga but in words.
> 
> Anyway, if you liked this work, please give it a comment and kudos! Tell me how I did :') Validate meeejhddhgdfsh
> 
> Follow my Twitter: @[m0rkjin](https://twitter.com/m0rkjin) !!!


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